Students helped design new Barrett Honors complex


Three undergraduates from Barrett, the Honors College, will give a presentation on how ASU students have helped design the new Barrett campus at a national conference of the American College Personnel Association March 28 – April 1 in Washington, D.C. Kristen Nielsen, Barrett assistant dean, also will present and introduce the group.

“Dream Opportunity: Designing a Sustainable New Honors College” will highlight the collaboration that led to the design of the new $130 million campus, which is scheduled to open in August 2009. Barrett students and administrators have met with each other and with the project architects and developers over two years, to define honors programming and decide on sustainable design features.

Students initiated a plan to create a sustainable living community on the seven-building campus. Sustainability House will be home to about 200 students from a variety of disciplines who have made a commitment to an environmentally responsible lifestyle

These students will live in two connected residence halls that incorporate such features as low-consumption plumbing fixtures, enhanced energy monitoring, a green roof and organic garden offering students the opportunity to study and experience sustainable living concepts.

The new Barrett complex will meet silver certification standards on the LEED Green Building Rating System. It will stand alone as the nation’s first comprehensive campus for honors students at a public university. 

Student leaders of the sustainability community who will present at the conference are Benjamin Lang, Joe Canarie and Jamie Wernet.